Green light of the marine snail

2010/12/16 Aulestiarte Lete, Izaro - Elhuyar Zientziaren Komunikazioa

• Zoologia

The protagonist of the image is a small mollusc that inhabits the rocky coasts. Under the scientific name of Hinea brasiliana, it has the ability to emit light, the green light. This characteristic, known as bioluminescence, is a characteristic of few animals.

However, the violence of the sea snail is not negligible. In fact, this violence occurs through very few cells, but its shell is fully illuminated. For the key to solving the mystery is in the shell. Now it is clear that it uses a shell that is actually opaque to be able to disperse that green light in all directions. It looks like a lamp with green bulb.

Members of the Scripps Oceanography Institute in San Francisco have announced that there may be a defense mechanism. In the experiments carried out in the aquarium it has been proven that the light of the snail is "lit" when approaching other animals such as quisquilla or crabs. Researchers have surprised to see how molluscum maximizes the signal in such an effective way through the shell. It seems that this scattering of light in all directions gives the snail a bigger appearance and helps to scare off potential predators.

Image courtesy of: D. D. Deheyn, University of California.